Tripoli secure first 2025 BAL semifinals ticket

Kriol Star did everything they could to contain Fabian White Jr., but the Al-Ahli Tripoli forward was unstoppable.

It was a do-or-die game for both teams, but Al Ahli Tripoli ultimately secured the first ticket to the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) semifinals.

They beat Kriol Star 107–81, becoming the second Libyan team since Al Ahly Ly to reach the Last Four.

White Jr. shot from every corner of the floor, blocked shots, created scoring opportunities for his teammates, and disrupted Kriol Star’s offense in various ways.

He finished with a 39-efficiency rating thanks to his 34 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and one block, helping Al Ahli Tripoli improve to 7-1.

White Jr.’s teammate, Assem Marei - who sat out their seeding game loss to Al Ittihad Alexandria and scored the opening basket with a rotation over Lewis Uvwo - contributed massively, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Libyan champions looked nothing like the team that appeared powerless for most of their 85-74 loss to Al Ittihad Alexandria 48 hours earlier.

In fact, Fouad Abou Chakra’s team stepped onto the floor with desperation, never trailing throughout the game.

One of Kriol Star’s strongest assets, three-point shooting, was nonexistent for most of the game. They shot 3-for-24 from deep; their third and final three-pointer came at the final buzzer from Luis Teixeira.

Joel Ntambwe led the Creoles in scoring with 25 points. Jalan McCloud added 19, and Joel and Ivan Almeida each contributed 16 in the losing effort.

Kriol Star's resilience was tested in the first quarter.

However, Al Ahli Tripoli's 11-0 scoring streak proved too difficult to overcome. The Libyan champions led 29-18 at the end of the opening quarter.

One of the biggest differences between the two teams was the contribution of their benches, with Al Ahli Tripoli outscoring Kriol Star 26-3.

“We fought. We tried to find solutions,” Joel Almeida admitted.

"We started out a little slow, but we were able to adjust. However, we couldn't maintain our consistency for the full forty minutes."

White Jr. later explained to BAL.NBA.com how he delivered an incredible performance.

"Our defense was tight and locked, and we were ready to hoop today. That's how we won the game," White Jr. said.

He went to detail how they looked a different team from the previous 48 hours. He said: “Assem [Marei] is a very good player. He knows what he’s doing. He has great post moves, great defense skills, and great rebounding. He’s definitely something we missed in the first game.”

Asked about his stellar display, White Jr explained that his hard work continues to pay off. “I’ve worked on it all my life. The more positions you play, the more playing time you get. I work on everything, and I keep improving as I get older.”

The loss marks the end of the 2025 BAL season for Kriol Star while Al Ahli Tripoli will take on the winner of game between Rivers Hoopers and APR.